The Last Party
by rap-suh-dee
Summary: “I can’t stay.” “You’re running away.” It came out harsher than Daley intended but she didn’t regret it. Melissa had looked up, met her gaze and said, “Yes. I am.” E/M, J/M, N/D


I know I had a poll up but I don't think this turned out to be either of the options, but it's probably more like the first one. But we'll see how this turns out.

This has been loosely influenced by Gossip Girl, I guess. Very loosely, since I neither read the books nor watched the show. But this universe has that sort of high society/gossip vibe to it. Enjoy. And reviews are awesome.

* * *

Eric's cocooned in his blankets, he'd only just gotten home four hours ago and he'd only been asleep for the past two. He's soft snores are interrupted by the beeping of his phone. He wants to ignore it but instinct already has his hand out, reaching out for it.

His hand closes around it; he rolls to his side, yawns and flips it open.

1 message, blinks back at him.

_She's back._

That's all it says. It's from a number his phone doesn't recognise. He really needs to stop giving his number out to every pretty little thing that catches his eye. It never lasts long. He flips his phone shut and puts in back on his bedside table. He rolls onto his back and stares up at his ceiling. He thinks about going back to sleep and when he finally allows his eyelids to lower his phone rings.

He doesn't bother to check who it is since he already knows what's it's going to be about.

"Have you heard?" Her voice is breathless, like she just ran a marathon to make this call, which is impossible because Taylor always has her cell attached permanently to either her ear of her right hand.

"Yeah, yeah I heard." And he realises, he sounds a little breathless too.

"Oh." She sounds disappointed, like she wanted to be the one to break the news to him. She pauses, "where are you?"

"I'm still in bed." He clears his throat, "have—have you seen her?"

"Nobody has, not yet. She isn't even in the city yet. I— oh hey, I've got to go. I'll talk to you later." She hangs up without waiting for his reply.

Eric keeps the phone clenched in his fist, then, as an afterthought turns it off. News, _gossip_, travelled fast in their world. He rolls to his side and closes his eyes.

Go back to sleep, he thinks to himself over and over. But the internal chanting soon turns into, she's back, she's back, she'sbackshe'sback.

He spends the rest of the afternoon in bed. But he doesn't get any sleep.

* * *

Daley wants to stay angry. She wants to hold onto the hurt she first felt almost a year ago, back in the beginning, when Melissa had left.

And she might still have a little bit of that anger but it's being drowned out by relief. For almost a year there was little contact, just short conversations with Melissa's mother every couple of months, lasting long enough to know that she was okay.

She remembers standing in her bedroom, watching her pack. She didn't help. She wasn't going to help her leave. They weren't arguing anymore, Daley had long run out points to support her case. Melissa wasn't listening.

And Daley had not known how to deal with this stubborn Melissa who used to be so carefree and content.

"Don't go." Daley says again, she's said it so many times the statement started to lose meaning.

"I can't stay."

"You're running away." It came out harsher than Daley intended but she didn't regret it.

Melissa had looked up, met her gaze and said, "Yes. I am."

And then she had left with a sad smile and a gentle hand on Daley's shoulder. The gesture was not reciprocated. Daley was the stubborn one. Always had been.

Then Daley had taken her anger, first loudly and uncompromisingly and then passively-aggressively, out on Eric. Now they hardly speak.

Taylor sits opposite her, watching with concerned eyes. She had never met Melissa. They ran in the same social circles, at least, they used to. But they were big circles and they may have even been at the same events a few times but they had never been officially introduced. In the world of the socialites, Melissa Wu, kept very much to herself.

Taylor hadn't really known Daley either not until Melissa left and Daley had thrown that Ball to raise awareness to something concerning the environment. Taylor can't remember, she was only there to party. It had been labelled as the event of the year. Daley had wanted to cancel everything but she had worked so hard organising the event. Nathan had convinced her to go through with it.

Daley is the only person Taylor knew who used the media attention to help others.

There was like a vacuum of where Melissa used to be that had sucked Taylor in. She wouldn't call them friends but then she wouldn't call many of the people she saw frequently friends either. Taylor exists in a fickle world and she's been burned before, by people she had thought she could trust.

They never talked about Melissa but Taylor always felt her presence, not like a ghost, but just a feeling that she was keeping this place warm until Melissa came back.

Rumours had raged fiercely but no one, within the immediate circle, said a thing and so the rumours raged on.

Taylor desperately wants to meet her. But she sees the way Daley's head is bowed, the slump of her shoulders and she's willing to wait, just that little bit longer.

* * *

Nathan, meanwhile, waits at the station. He leans against the wall, hands in pockets, looking to the world like he hadn't a worry in the world. He was always good at projecting that. He had looked the most calm in the wake of Melissa's departure. He was a wreck on the inside, had felt like he had failed her in some way.

"This isn't your fault." She had said as they hugged for the last time. She had felt so tiny and fragile in his arms.

"Please take care of yourself." He had put up the least resistance only because he had known her the longest, knew there was no point in trying to stand in her way when she had come to a decision. They had been friends since they were barely out of their diapers.

She pulled away and looked him in the eyes. "_You_ take care of yourself, mister."

He casually glances at the giant clock tower. His heart beats wildly like it'll burst. He looks at the clock again. He straightens himself up, his eyes glaze over the many faces until it freezes over a familiar one.

Their eyes meet. She smiles.

And Nathan swears, for a second, his heart stops.

He almost runs to her, he stops short of pulling her into a hug. Her smile falters.

"You're back." He says. The calm veneer cracks. He's missed her so much.

"Yeah, I am." Her smile fades.

And then does he allow himself to hug her.


End file.
